Map of Papua New Guinea | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
Military | Transportation | Transnational Issues | Year: Guide198919901991199219931994199519961997199819992000200120022003200420052006200720082009201020112012201320142015201620172018201920202021202220232024 | More stats

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Background: The eastern half of the island of New Guinea - second largest in the world - was divided between Germany (north) and the UK (south) in 1885. The latter area was transferred to Australia in 1902 which occupied the northern portion during World War I and continued to administer the combined areas until independence in 1975.


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Location: Southeastern Asia, group of islands including the eastern half of the island of New Guinea between the Coral Sea and the South Pacific Ocean, east of Indonesia

Geographic coordinates

Map reference: Oceania

Area
Total area total: 461,690 km²
Land: 451,710 km²
Comparative: slightly larger than California

Land boundaries: total 820 km, Indonesia 820 km

Coastline: 5,152 km

Maritime claims: measured from claimed archipelagic baselines
Continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation
Exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm
Territorial sea: 12 nm

Climate: tropical; northwest monsoon (December to March), southeast monsoon (May to October; slight seasonal temperature variation

Terrain: mostly mountains with coastal lowlands and rolling foothills

Elevation

Natural resources: gold, copper, silver, natural gas, timber, oil potential

Land use
Arable land: 0%
Permanent crops: 1%
Meadows and pastures: 0%
Forest and woodland: 71%
Other: 28%

Irrigated land: NA km²

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources

Natural hazards

Geography
Note: shares island of New Guinea with Indonesia; one of world's largest swamps along southwest coast


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Population: 4,294,750 (July 1995 est.)
Growth rate: 2.3% (1995 est.)

Nationality
Noun: Papua New Guinean(s)
Adjective: Papua New Guinean

Ethnic groups: Melanesian, Papuan, Negrito, Micronesian, Polynesian

Languages: English spoken by 1%-2%, pidgin English widespread, Motu spoken in Papua region
Note: 715 indigenous languages

Religions: Roman Catholic 22%, Lutheran 16%, Presbyterian/Methodist/London Missionary Society 8%, Anglican 5%, Evangelical Alliance 4%, Seventh-Day Adventist 1%, other Protestant sects 10%, indigenous beliefs 34%

Demographic profile

Age structure
0-14 years: 41% (female 847,208; male 892,718)
15-64 years: 57% (female 1,161,961; male 1,268,266)
65 years and over: 2% (female 66,759; male 57,838) (July 1995 est.)

Dependency ratios

Median age

Population growth rate: 2.3% (1995 est.)

Birth rate: 33.2 births/1000 population (1995 est.)

Death rate: 10.18 deaths/1000 population (1995 est.)

Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1000 population (1995 est.)

Population distribution

Urbanization

Major urban areas

Environment
Current issues: rain forest subject to deforestation as a result of growing commercial demand for tropical timber; pollution from mining projects
Current issues natural hazards: active volcanism; situated along the Pacific "Rim of Fire"; the country is subject to frequent and sometimes severe earthquakes; mudslides
Current issues international agreements: party to - Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Wetlands; signed, but not ratified - Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Law of the Sea

Air pollutants

Sex ratio

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate: 61.6 deaths/1000 live births (1995 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 56.85 years
Male: 56.01 years
Female: 57.74 years (1995 est.)

Total fertility rate: 4.55 children born/woman (1995 est.)

Contraceptive prevalence rate

Drinking water source

Current health expenditure

Physicians density

Hospital bed density

Sanitation facility access

Hiv/Aids

Major infectious diseases

Obesity adult prevalence rate

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

Education expenditures

Literacy: age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)
Total population: 52%
Male: 65%
Female: 38%

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education

Youth unemployment


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Country name
Conventional long form: Independent State of Papua New Guinea
Conventional short form: Papua New Guinea

Government type: parliamentary democracy

Capital: Port Moresby

Administrative divisions: 20 provinces; Central, Chimbu, Eastern Highlands, East New Britain, East Sepik, Enga, Gulf, Madang, Manus, Milne Bay, Morobe, National Capital, New Ireland, Northern, North Solomons, Sandaun, Southern Highlands, Western, Western Highlands, West New Britain

Dependent areas

Independence: 16 September 1975 (from the Australian-administered UN trusteeship)

National holiday: Independence Day, 16 September (1975)

Constitution: 16 September 1975

Legal system: based on English common law

International law organization participation

Citizenship

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch
Chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor General Wiwa KOROWI (since NA November 1991)
Head of government: Prime Minister Sir Julius CHAN (since 30 August 1994); Deputy Prime Minister Chris HAIVETA (since 7 September 1994)
Cabinet: National Executive Council; appointed by the governor on recommendation of the prime minister

Legislative branch: unicameral
National Parliament: (, sometimes referred to as the House of Assembly) elections last held 13-26 June 1992 (next to be held NA 1997); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (109 total) Pangu Party 24, PDM 17, PPP 10, PAP 10, independents 30, others 18; note - association with political parties is fluid

Judicial branch: Supreme Court

Political parties and leaders

International organization participation: ACP, APEC, AsDB, ASEAN (observer), C, CP, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ISO (correspondent), ITU, NAM, NAM (observer), SPARTECA, SPC, SPF, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WMO

Diplomatic representation
In the us chief of mission: Ambassador Kepas Isimel WATANGIA
In the us chancery: 3rd floor, 1615 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20,009
In the us telephone: [1] (202) 745-3,680
In the us FAX: [1] (202) 745-3,679
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador Richard W. TEARE
From the us embassy: Armit Street, Port Moresby
From the us mailing address: P. O. Box 1492, Port Moresby, or APO AE 96,553
From the us telephone: [675] 211,455, 211,594, 211,654
From the us FAX: [675] 213,423

Flag description: divided diagonally from upper hoist-side corner; the upper triangle is red with a soaring yellow bird of paradise centered; the lower triangle is black with five white five-pointed stars of the Southern Cross constellation centered

National symbols

National anthem

National heritage


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Economy overview: Papua New Guinea is richly endowed with natural resources, but exploitation has been hampered by the rugged terrain and the high cost of developing an infrastructure. Agriculture provides a subsistence livelihood for 85% of the population. Mining of numerous deposits, including copper and gold, accounts for about 60% of export earnings. Budgetary support from Australia and development aid under World Bank auspices have helped sustain the economy. Robust growth in 1991-92 was led by the mining sector; the opening of a large new gold mine helped the advance. At the start of 1995, Port Moresby is looking primarily to the exploitation of mineral and petroleum resources to drive economic development but new prospecting in Papua New Guinea has slumped as other mineral-rich countries have stepped up their competition for international investment. Output from current projects will probably begin to taper off in 1996, but no new large ventures are being developed to succeed them.

Real gdp purchasing power parity

Real gdp growth rate: 6.1% (1994 est.)

Real gdp per capita: $2,200 (1994 est.)

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use

Gdp composition by sector of origin

Agriculture products: Accounts for 25% of GDP; livelihood for 85% of population; fertile soils and favorable climate permits cultivating a wide variety of crops; cash crops - coffee, cocoa, coconuts, palm kernels; other products - tea, rubber, sweet potatoes, fruit, vegetables, poultry, pork; net importer of food for urban centers

Industries: copra crushing, palm oil processing, plywood production, wood chip production, mining of gold, silver, and copper, construction, tourism

Industrial production growth rate

Labor force: NA

Unemployment rate: NA%

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share

Distribution of family income gini index

Budget
Revenues: $1.33 billion
Expenditures: $1.36 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (1995 est.)

Taxes and other revenues

Public debt

Revenue

Fiscal year: calendar year

Inflation rate consumer prices

Central bank discount rate

Commercial bank prime lending rate

Stock of narrow money

Stock of broad money

Stock of domestic credit

Market value of publicly traded shares

Current account balance

Exports: $2.4 billion (f.o.b., 1993 est.)
Commodoties: gold, copper ore, oil, logs, palm oil, coffee, cocoa, lobster
Partners: Australia, Japan, US, Singapore, New Zealand

Imports: $1.2 billion (c.i.f., 1993 est.)
Commodoties: machinery and transport equipment, manufactured goods, food, fuels, chemicals
Partners: Australia, Japan, UK, New Zealand, Netherlands

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Debt external: $3.2 billion (1992)

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates: kina (K) per US$1 - 0.8565 (December 1994), 0.9950 (1994), 1.0221 (1993), 1.0367 (1992), 1.0504 (1991), 1.0467 (1990; note - the government floated the kina on 10 October 1994


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Electricity
Capacity: 490,000 kW
Production: 1.8 billion kWh
Production consumption per capita: 390 kWh (1993)

Coal

Petroleum

Crude oil

Refined petroleum

Natural gas

Carbon dioxide emissions

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones

Telephone system: more than 70,000 telephones (1987); services are adequate and being improved; facilities provide radiobroadcast, radiotelephone and telegraph, coastal radio, aeronautical radio, and international radiocommunication services
Local: NA
Intercity: mostly radio telephone
International: submarine cables extend to Australia and Guam; 1 INTELSAT (Pacific Ocean) earth station; international radio communication service

Broadcast media

Internet

Broadband fixed subscriptions


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Military expenditures
Dollar figure: $55 million, 1.8% of GDP (1993 est.)

Military and security forces

Military service age and obligation

Space program

Terrorist groups


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National air transport system

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

Airports: 505
With paved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 1
With paved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 13
With paved runways 914 to 1523 m: 5
With paved runways under 914 m: 411
With unpaved runways 15-24 to 2438 m: 12
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 63

Heliports

Pipelines

Railways

Roadways

Waterways: 10,940 km

Merchant marine
Total: 12 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 22,565 GRT/27,071 DWT
Ships by type: bulk 2, cargo 3, combination ore/oil 5, container 1, roll-on/roll-off 1

Ports and terminals


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Disputes international: none

Refugees and internally displaced persons

Illicit drugs